Brotherhood of Arms: The Polish Foundation Bringing Battlefield Medics to Ukraine

Over 1,000 days have passed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and nearly 4,000 since the beginning of the war itself. While the entire world contemplates what a potential end to the war in Ukraine might look like in the context of a second Trump presidency, its fate is determined every day by the efforts of Ukrainian soldiers.

Kyiv Post correspondent Michał Kujawski spoke with Damian Duda, CEO of the "W MIĘDZYCZASIE" Foundation – a group of paramedics who help Ukrainian defenders at the front lines. Duda is himself a Polish combat medic who saves wounded Ukrainian personnel.

MJ: How long have you been active in Ukraine, Damian?

DD: Since the end of 2014. At that time, I was working in Poland as an academic lecturer. I received an offer to go to Mariupol as an international observer. Back then, the Polish minority still lived there. At the time, I held very right-wing views, which I had developed during my studies at the Catholic University of Lublin. I was firmly convinced that Euromaidan was a neo-Banderist revolution. At that time, propaganda had had an impact on me.

Damian Duda

MJ: What did you see when you arrived in Mariupol?

DD: I realized that the world is not black and white and that everything is very complex. I observed Ukrainian nationalism and noticed that it did not have an anti-Polish character. Most importantly, I saw that we were not dealing with any grassroots insurgency movement in Donbas but rather a Russian hybrid war. That was the time when Mariupol was shelled by separatists using the GRAD system, killing about 30 civilians. That was an absolute game-changer for me.

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I returned to Poland and began training in battlefield medicine. I was also the head of a paramilitary organization, so I already had basic knowledge. At that time, there was a significant lack of expertise in battlefield medicine in Ukraine. Ukraine was just beginning to modernize its army, which previously had a post-Soviet character. We started training Ukrainian soldiers in Kryvyi Rih. Later, I found myself near Donetsk airport...

MJ: Does this feed into the story of the infamous Ukrainian “cyborg” defenders?

DD: Yes. Back then, they were still defending themselves at Donetsk airport. That’s where I met a newly-forming medical battalion. It was my first encounter with war. It affected me so deeply that after returning to Poland, I started collecting equipment, recruiting willing volunteers, gathering humanitarian aid, and raising funds to return to Ukraine and help.

Before the full-scale invasion, I had been working intermittently in Ukraine for eight years. In the meantime, I also spent time in Syria and Iraq, supporting the Kurds fighting against the Islamic State. I did all of this with a group of volunteers using our own funds. That’s how we spent our vacations and free time.

MJ: Where were you when the full-scale invasion began in February 2022?

DD: At the time, I was the spokesperson for the Government Security Center in Kraków, Poland. I woke up early in the morning. I received messages from friends saying the invasion had begun and that Ukraine would fall without Poland’s help. Those words sounded like a death sentence to me. Despite holding a high-ranking government position, I immediately started thinking about how I could go to the front and help. I also managed to organize humanitarian aid, which I delivered to Lviv and Kyiv while the Russians were still at the gates of the capital.

My next trip was with a group of paramedic colleagues. We were supposed to assist the 206th Territorial Defense Battalion of Kyiv. The Battle of Kyiv had already ended, so we went to the Mykolaiv area. We worked there until the Russians retreated beyond Kherson.

MJ: You’re talking about the group of paramedics you work with. How many of you are there as part of the Foundation?

DD Currently, there are 40 of us, including a mix of individuals with and without a medical education. Most of us are Poles. There are also two Ukrainians and one German. We are constantly recruiting and training. Our numbers are steadily growing.

MJ: What motivates foreigners to become battlefield medics?

DD: There are many motivations. Currently, my personal motivation is concern for my friends in Ukraine and colleagues I work with. Everyone has their own reasons. For some, it’s the desire to help Ukraine; for others, it’s gaining experience.

MJ: Do NATO member states' militaries and service people use your knowledge and experience?

DD: It varies. There are units open to collaboration, and others that are so entrenched and stubbornly convinced of their own knowledge that they outright forbid cooperation with us. For our part, we try to share the knowledge we gain. The Polish army has an expeditionary character, as seen through its engagements in Iraq or Afghanistan.

However, the situation has changed, and we no longer have scenarios where soldiers return to safe bases where they can order a shake and a cheeseburger. This is a war where you have to step out of your comfort zone. It’s a war where people sit in trenches, waist-deep in mud, praying to survive until the next day.

MJ: What does your daily life and work look like?

DD: There’s no set routine. We worked in Bakhmut for two months until it fell, and we stayed in besieged Soledar until the very end. We were also on the Zaporizhzhia front during the counteroffensive. Currently, we are near the Kreminna forest. Everywhere we operate, we encounter different enemies, different units, and different methods of warfare. Much also depends on the training of the units we work with and the equipment available to them.

MJ: How would you say the situation on the front has changed over the past two years?

DD: It’s evident that the enemy is learning, and the Russians are doing their homework. Those who believed that Russia is running out of ammunition and manpower fell victim to hubris, and hubris comes before a fall. Unfortunately, Russia is doing well. What concerns me are Ukraine’s demographics and mobilization challenges. The West can send equipment, but who will operate it? The population is war weary. This is particularly visible among those with experience from the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) who are still fighting today – they’re simply exhausted.

MJ: How would you describe the state of morale?

DD: It depends on the unit. In some, morale is high; in others, it’s lower. I can’t speak for everyone. We’re in the trenches with the guys, and we observe that when commanders ensure proper medical support and quick evacuation of the wounded from the front lines, morale is high. It’s crucial for soldiers to feel that someone is looking out for them.

MJ: How many battlefield medics are needed?

DD: Ukraine has developed excellent standards. One example is the estimated evacuation time. In my opinion Poland and other NATO countries aren’t necessarily prepared for this. The doctrine states that a wounded person should reach a collection point within 10 minutes, a stabilization point within an hour, and a hospital within two hours.

MJ: Is that realistic?

DD: Definitely not! Evacuation in war can take three to four hours or more. In Bakhmut, it sometimes took 10 to12 hours. This shows that this war is different from what we’re preparing for in the West. Many Western countries are still investing in tent field hospitals.

MJ: They’re easy targets?

DD: Exactly. In Ukraine, all this infrastructure is underground. The last Ukrainian tent hospital I know of was set up in 2014. It was shelled by GRAD rockets. Ukraine has learned from its mistakes.

MJ: You and your group are volunteers. What do you need to run your operations?

DD: Above all, cooperation with Ukrainian units. Some are hesitant to work with foreign volunteers, even though we have already collaborated with units like the 3rd Assault Brigade, “Azov,” the 12th Special Brigade “Azov,” territorial defense units, and others. Some commanders still have concerns, despite us being insured, experienced, and ready. We also suffer losses. One of our medics was injured about two months ago and we’re fighting to save his leg. Such things happen – we understand it’s war. We also need support. We are volunteers and require funds to buy medicine, repair our vehicles, pay for fuel, and train people. You can find us on Facebook and X, where you can also support us financially.

MJ: The front means blood, stress, and death. It takes a toll on the psyche. How do you cope with it?

DD: It’s not easy on the mind. Sometimes we evacuate the wounded over the bodies of the fallen. In Bakhmut, as much as circumstances allowed, we buried civilian bodies in trenches ourselves to keep them off the streets and away from stray dogs. This is hard for an ordinary person to endure. A stark contrast is returning from Ukraine to our calm and safe homes. We are under constant psychological care, and every volunteer who wants to work with us undergoes psychological testing. Physical tests are not the only important ones.

MJ: How do you manage, personally?

DD: Everyone has their own way. For me, it’s hiking in the mountains, traveling, talking with loved ones, and sharing these experiences with journalists. I don’t keep it inside. Talking about what we see is part of our mission. We are witnesses to this war. Ukrainians know this reality and this suffering – they experience it daily and understand that they cannot give in to the Russians. People in the West don’t fully grasp this anymore.

MJ: In short, raising awareness in European societies?

DD: Both in Poland and across the West. Politically, we see tensions in Polish-Ukrainian relations. Regardless of that, I want to declare to Ukrainians and President Volodymyr Zelensky that there are people in Poland willing to give their lives for Ukraine. We pack our medical kits and head to the front to save Ukrainian soldiers.

MJ: How do Ukrainians, both soldiers and civilians, react to the presence of Poles and other foreigners?

DD: I have never experienced any negative reactions or hostility. Quite the opposite – we feel sympathy. I remember when we were talking in Bakhmut with one of the Ukrainian soldiers from special forces. He couldn’t understand why we – Poles – voluntarily came to such a hellish place as Bakhmut and risk our lives. We could have been safe in our own country.

MJ: Does the presence of foreigners help combat the feeling of isolation?

DD: Let me share another situation from Bakhmut. We were living in basements; among us were Azov fighters, labeled by Russian propaganda as Nazis. It was a time when supplies and food were scarce. We entered a shelter, and inside was a covered plastic plate. On it was written “Poles.” We uncovered it, and inside were pieces of toast. The guys had prepared and left for us their last bits of bread, cheese, and cold cuts, which were hard to come by. For me, this was a greater honor than dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant with the highest rating in the world.

MJ: A sign of brotherhood?

DD: Not everyone has returned from the assaults and some have died in the trenches too. Fortunately, none of the Polish medics have died so far, but our colleagues, our brothers, lost their lives just a few meters from us. Out there, nationality doesn’t matter. It fades away. We are a single mechanism.

MJ: A shared destiny?

DD: A brotherhood of arms.

Damian Duda and other combat medics rely on donations. You can support them by contributing here: https://patronite.pl/wmiedzyczasie